Which AI for which job

Checked 22 October 2026. Tools change fast; each claim below links the provider page it comes from.

Most people don't need the “best” AI. They need the one that fits the job in front of them. This guide sorts the common jobs and names the tools that their makers say are built for them. We take no money for placement and use no affiliate links.

1. 01

   1. Writing and editing

   Any of the big chat assistants — ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), Gemini (Google) — can draft, rewrite, and tighten text. Pick the one whose free tier you already have; paste your draft and say who it's for. Check facts it adds before you send anything.

   Sources: help.openai.com (ChatGPT overview); support.claude.com (What is Claude); support.google.com/gemini (Gemini Apps help).

2. 02

   2. Research with sources

   Use a mode that searches the web and shows its links: ChatGPT search, Claude with web search on, Gemini Deep Research, or Perplexity. Open the links — a cited answer is only as good as the page behind it.

   Sources: help.openai.com (ChatGPT search); support.claude.com (web search); support.google.com/gemini (Deep Research); perplexity.ai/help-center.

3. 03

   3. Coding

   For help inside your code, use a coding tool that can read your project: GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, or Gemini Code Assist. Keep changes small and run your tests before you trust them.

   Sources: docs.github.com/copilot; docs.claude.com (Claude Code); developers.openai.com/codex; developers.google.com/gemini-code-assist.

4. 04

   4. Memory and long projects

   For work that spans weeks, use the project or memory features: ChatGPT Projects and Memory, Claude Projects, Gemini Gems and saved info. Know where that memory lives and how to export or delete it — that's what our Keep your memory yours door is for.

   Sources: help.openai.com (Memory FAQ; Projects); support.claude.com (Projects); support.google.com/gemini (saved info; Gems).

5. 05

   5. Images

   For pictures from a description: ChatGPT image generation, Gemini image generation, Adobe Firefly, or Midjourney. Read each one's terms on commercial use before you publish what it makes.

   Sources: help.openai.com (image generation); support.google.com/gemini (images); helpx.adobe.com/firefly; docs.midjourney.com.

6. 06

   6. Cheap or private: open models on your own computer

   Open-weight models (for example Llama, Mistral, Gemma, Qwen) can run on a decent laptop through free apps like Ollama or LM Studio. They're slower and less capable than the big hosted tools, but nothing leaves your machine and there's no monthly bill.

   Sources: ollama.com (docs); lmstudio.ai/docs; ai.meta.com/llama; ai.google.dev/gemma.

Real costs: what these jobs cost on each plan and on the API, with the math shown.

Our rule as referee: we name tools by what their makers publish, we re-check dates, and nobody pays to be listed. If something here is out of date, tell us through Work with Adam.